CT Coalition to End FGM/C

Recently, policy interns at Sahiyo have been interviewing members of the Connecticut (CT) Coalition to End FGM/C to learn more about them and their important work. Sahiyo’s policy intern, Juliet Shires, talked to the Executive Director of the U.S End FGM/C Network and CT Coalition member, Caitlin LeMay about her personal experiences as an advocate as well as the Network’s role in supporting the CT Coalition’s efforts.

Read the full article on Juliet Shires and Caitlin LeMay's conversation here: https://endfgmcinct.com/the-connecticut-coalition-to-end-fgm-c-interview-series-caitlin-lemay/

Recently, policy interns at Sahiyo have been interviewing members of the Connecticut (CT) Coalition to End FGM/C to learn more about each individual and to better understand all the important work they contribute towards ending FGM/C. Read the full article on Azaliah Erawoc and Jo Keogh's conversation here:

https://endfgmcinct.com/the-connecticut-coalition-to-end-fgm-c-interview-series-jo-keogh/

There's still work to be done to end FGM/C in CT. Join us today.
www.change.org/BanFGMinCT

An effort to raise a bill prohibiting female ge***al mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) before the Connecticut General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee has been stopped short for a third straight year, leaving advocates and lawmakers confused.

Prohibition On Female Ge***al Mutilation And Cutting Falls Short Of Becoming A Bill For Third Year | CT News Ju**ie An effort to raise a bill prohibiting female ge***al mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) before the Connecticut General Assembly's Judiciary Committee has been stopped short for a third straight year, leaving advocates and lawmakers confused.

Connecticut residents, please sign this call to action which encourages your elected officials to raise a bill sponsored by Representative Gilchrest that would protect children from female ge***al mutilation/cutting in Connecticut.

Connecticut is one of only NINE states in the U.S. that does not have a specific law on FGM/C. Sign the call to action today!

This bill received overwhelming bipartisan support. Yet, for some reason the bill was never raised and no one can give anyone a reason why.

📢URGENT CALL TO ACTION! 📢 📣CT legislators, the time to act is NOW! Our girls deserve protection from FGM/C, but the bill hasn't been raised in the '24 session. We can't let this opportunity slip away. Let's make our voices heard & ensure that this legislation is brought to the forefront. https://buff.ly/4cdmDu6!

We are disappointed. I'm sorry to have to report that after garnering much community support, the bill to protect children from female ge***al mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) was not raised by the Connecticut Judiciary Committee this session. This means Connecticut remains one of the final 9 states in the U.S. without any state-level legal protections. Further, we learned yesterday that internationally, the Gambia overturned a landmark bill that banned FGM/C in the country. Now both Connecticut and Gambia have that in common - no legal protection against FGM/C.

The Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C urges you to call your representatives and tell them you want this law passed! Globally in every country, every territory, every state, we must protect children from this harmful practice. To read more about our statement, click here. https://endfgmcinct.com/connecticut-lawmakers-have-the-opportunity-to-protect-children-from-female-ge***al-mutilation-cutting-will-they-take-it/

If you are CT resident, visit here to find out who your legislator is and contact them today! https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/cgafindleg.asp

PRESS RELEASE: Connecticut Lawmakers have the Opportunity to Protect Children from Female Ge***al Mutilation/Cutting. Will They Take It? - Hartford, Connecticut, 03/19/2024—The recent news that a bill to protect children from female ge***al mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in the state of Connecticut (CT) has not been raised in the 2024 legislative session comes as a surprise to many survivors of FGM/C and advocates who have been campaigni...

Thank you to the Connecticut Lieutenant Governor, Office of Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz for issuing this citation, amplifying the occasion of Zero Tolerance of FGM/C Day in Connecticut.

Today we amplify our mission to end FGM/C and thank Office of Governor Ned Lamont for issuing an official proclamation recognizing February 6th as Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Ge***al Mutilation/Cutting in the state of Connecticut.

During last week’s panel discussion, lawmakers and FGM/C survivors shared their support for the ban. “Connecticut has been, as I said, a state that’s been incredible for human rights and taking care of people, and to me this is a no-brainer that girls should be protected,” Zehra Patwa, co-founder and U.S. lead of WeSpeakOut, said.

Connecticut Lawmakers Push for Ban on Female Ge***al Mutilation and Cutting | CT News Ju**ie Zehra Patwa, co-founder and U.S. lead of WeSpeakOut (Courtesy of CT-N) Connecticut is one of nine states that do not have a law prohibiting female ge***al

Thank you to Office of Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz for supporting our initiative to pass legislation in CT to protect children from female ge***al mutilation/cutting.

Connecticut is 1 of 9 states without a ban on female ge***al mutilation. Thousands are at risk, activists say A survivor-led coalition is fighting for the criminalization of female ge***al mutilation under Connecticut state statute — a cause that lawmakers from the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus have agreed to …

Thank you to the Hartford Courant for covering the topic of female ge***al mutilation/cutting.

The CT Coalition, a survivor-led coalition, is working to protect children from female ge***al mutilation/cutting under Connecticut state statute — a cause that lawmakers from the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus have agreed to take up this legislative session.

Connecticut is 1 of 9 states without a ban on female ge***al mutilation. Thousands are at risk, activists say A survivor-led coalition is fighting for the criminalization of female ge***al mutilation under Connecticut state statute — a cause that lawmakers from the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus have agreed to …

Yesterday, the CT Coalition to End FGM/C cosponsored the event, “Preventing FGM/C in Connecticut – Why Comprehensive Laws Matter” alongside Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity, CT General Assembly Bi-Partisan Women’s Caucus with special guests and co-hosts State Representative Jillian Gilchrest, Office of Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz where information about FGM/C in the United States and the need for comprehensive state laws to end the practice was shared.

Additional cosponsors were The US End FGM/C Network, Equality Now, and Sahiyo.

🤝Thanks to everyone who came, we continue working to make Connecticut the 42nd state to ban FGM/C!!

On January 25, the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity, Representative Jillian Gilchrest and us the CT Coalition to End FGM/C with special guests and co-hosts Office of Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz and the Governor’s Council on Women & Girls, will be hosting the event "Preventing FGM/C in Connecticut – Why Comprehensive Laws Matter" to share information and resources for legislators and their staffs about FGM/C in the United States and the need for comprehensive state laws to end the practice.

Sahiyo Equality Now The US End FGM/C Network

🌸Together, with Tight Lipped we're hosting a webinar on pain, stigma, and healing through storytelling. Join the conversation!

⏰Save the date December 6th at 11:30 am PST/2:30 pm EST.

Thank you to Peace Development Fund for bringing Sahiyo and Tight Lipped together, because of that connection we have developed this webinar.

👉Register now: https://bit.ly/SxTHealing

If you missed this important legislative briefing, you can watch it here - https://ct-n.com/ctnplayer.asp?odID=22292

CWCSEO and Representative Jillian Gilchrist invite you to an upcoming Legislative Briefing on Female Ge***al Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) with Special Guests Mariya Taher, Co-Founder and U.S. Executive Director of Sahiyo, as well as experts from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). This important event scheduled for Monday, November 6, 2023 from 10am-11:30am, will provide insights into the legislative landscape surrounding FGMC in the United States. CT remains one of only 9 states in the US yet to address this human rights violation in any manner. We are attaching a copy of a report prepared by NCSL summarizing the laws addressing FGMC in 41 states. Join us as we discuss the progress made, the challenges faced, and the way forward in combating this harmful practice.
Please mark your calendars for this informative session on November 6th. Together, we can work towards ending FGMC and promoting a safer, healthier future for all in Connecticut.

On Feb 6th, the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity urged legislators in Connecticut to pass a law to protect girls from female ge***al mutilation/cutting (FGM/C)!

"While the State of Connecticut has a robust community of advocates and people with lived experience working to end this form of gender-based violence, the state has been an outlier in its silence among its neighbors and in the nation. This comprehensive legislation would ensure that CT join our sister states in protecting children from harm." ~ Steven Hernández, Executive Director of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity.

Read the full press release here - https://sahiyo.org/sahiyo-blog/cwcseo-press-release-on-international-day-of-zero-tolerance-for-fgm-c.html

Thank you to the Connecticut Lieutenant Governor, Office of Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz for issuing this citation to mark the occasion of Zero Tolerance of FGM/C Day in the state of Connecticut.

February 6th is the International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Ge***al Mutilation/Cutting, declared by the United Nations. Today is a day to elevate the mission of ending FGM/C, and we are proud to announce that Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has written and released a proclamation supporting this cause and honoring the work we are doing to end FGM/C in Connecticut!

We are excited to announce the recording for our webinar 'Moving Connecticut Ahead: Protecting Girls from FGM/C' that we hosted in partnership with Sahiyo and the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity is now live:

FULL Recording - Moving CT Ahead: Protecting Girls from Female Ge***al Mutilation/Cutting On September 29th, 2022, Sahiyo hosted the webinar “Moving Connecticut Ahead: Protecting Girls from Female Ge***al Mutilation/Cutting” in partnership with th...

💻Register: https://bit.ly/MovingCTAhead
📅 Coming up soon on Sept 29th, 1PM EST

Steven Hernandez, Executive Director of the Commission on the Status of Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity, will moderate our panel for the “Moving Connecticut Ahead: Protecting Girls from Female Ge***al Mutilation/Cutting” webinar.

💻Register here: https://bit.ly/MovingCTAhead

Meet Zehra Patwa! Zehra is a survivor and co-founder of We Speak Out, an organization that strives to work for equal rights for Bohra women in all spheres of life. We’re grateful to utilize her expertise in our panel discussion “Moving Connecticut Ahead: Protecting Girls from Female Ge***al Mutilation/Cutting”.

Join us this September 29th, at 1 pm EST to hear her and other speakers discuss strategies on what must be done in Connecticut to protect future generations from FGM/C.

Register for the Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C Webinar - https://mailchi.mp/sahiyo/connecticut-coalition-to-end-fgmc-webinar-4cdcp2qlsw-15047001

Register for the Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C Webinar Dear Friends, As part of the Connecticut Coalition to End Female Ge***al Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), we’d like to invite you to join us for a webinar to learn more about the work being done to end FGM/C in Connecticut. The Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C is a group of organizations and indi...

💻Register: https://bit.ly/MovingCTAhead

On September 29th at 1PM EST Martine Dherte, the Program Manager for refugee services at the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants , will join us for the webinar “Moving Connecticut Ahead: Protecting Girls from Female Ge***al Mutilation/Cutting” and share her thoughts on how harmful social norms can perpetuate gender-based violence in the name of culture.